Mixing bowls, that is bowls for the mixing and blending of foodstuffs, are, conventionally, round or circular in cross-section. This has historically been the case for a variety of reasons, including the ease of forming such bowls of ceramic and glass, the primary materials for such bowls prior to the use of food compatible synthetic resins. In addition, the circular bowl is particularly adapted for use in automated equipment, such as stand-mounted electric mixers wherein the bowl is positioned off center to the mixing blades and rotates in conjunction with the mixing action of the blades.
However, such circular or generally hemispherical bowls are less than completely satisfactory when the contents are to be hand mixed, that is mixed by a hand held implement which is manipulated about the interior of the bowl. The main problem with hand mixing in a circular bowl is that the hand and arm tend to naturally follow a generally elliptical path in a normal stirring motion, not a circular path as would be required by a circular mixing bowl for maximum effectiveness. As such, a substantial degree of control must be maintained by the one doing the stirring to ensure that the stirring implement properly engages all of the contents of the bowl. The natural tendency of the hand to move in an elliptical path must either be physically controlled by the user or restrained by the confines of the bowl wall.